Ben Junior: Meg's Revelation
by RobinLady-in-Waiting
Summary: Third in the series. After moving to Chicago, Meg and Benton get sent away on vacation with help from Ben Jr., Aunt Maggie and Uncle Ray.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chicago, Illinois**_

_**The Present ….**_

Meg brought her cup of tea over to the sofa and sat down beside Benton. The History Channel played an old program about Egypt, the volume barely audible.

"Ben's doing homework, I read his essay for Civics class, it's very well written." She sipped piping hot chamomile before pulling her feet up on the couch beneath her.

"He's been working on it most of the semester." Benton responded without looking at Meg. His hand came to rest on her knee; a gentle warmth and weight. Meg and Benton often sat curled up on the couch after dinner in companionable silence. They felt comfortable with themselves and each other-finally.

"I can't believe he'll be graduating next spring and going to college." Meg sighed, setting her mug down. Benton turned the television off and shifted to face Meg.

"Tempus fuget." The Mountie leaned his elbow on the back of the couch, peering deeply into Meg's dark eyes.

"Time flies." His deep blue still gave Meg a thrill when he looked at her so intensely.

"Let's not waste another moment." She smiled, leaning forward for a kiss. Benton had only improved his kissing talent with age. He left Meg dazed and smiling like a teenager every time.

"Hey, Dad …." Ben stopped in his tracks, paperback dictionary in hand.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry." He whirled around.

Meg pulled back immediately, embarrassed. Benton hung his head, taking a deep breath before looking up at Meg.

"What is it, Ben?" Benton asked his only child and namesake.

"I, uh, how do you spell 'accept', I've tried looking it up under 'a' and 'e' but I'm not sure." Ben handed his father the dictionary, avoiding eye contact with Meg.

"Here you are." Benton turned to the page quickly.

"Thanks, Dad." Ben took the dictionary and turned around. Two steps later he turned back.

"If you want privacy, I can go stay at Aunt Frannie's, I don't mind." He looked from one adult to the other. His dad and Meg had been a couple for a while but never seemed to spend time alone.

"I should go home, I have homework due tomorrow." Meg looked up at Ben with a tired expression.

"It's okay if you want to spend the night together, doing, well, what I mean is, if you wanted to, well, you know what I mean." Ben blushed. He couldn't talk about sex any better than his father. The mere thought of his dad and Meg going any farther than kissing made him light headed.

"We will let you know, now don't forget to brush your teeth before bed." Benton changed the subject. He wasn't any more comfortable with the subject than Ben.

"Goodnight, Meg, I'll see you tomorrow." Ben waved before walking to his bedroom.

"Goodnight, Ben, sleep well." She answered, watching him leave.

"Hmm, where were we?" Benton pulled her attention back to romantic matters as the bedroom door closed.

"I was just about to get up and go home for the night." Meg answered, stretching her limbs.

"It's still early." Benton purred, his eyes skimming down her cheek, to her swan neck and the modest V of her blouse. He slowly ran his tongue across his bottom lip, raising his hand to touch her cheek.

"Benton, let's not stop something we can't finish." Meg whispered, laying her hand over his. It frustrated them both to let the fire die.

"Perhaps we could plan a weekend getaway after this semester." Benton suggested, hoping to alleviate her stress.

"I can't take off work, I've been there less than a year." Meg shook her head, refusing something she'd wanted for years.

"You don't work weekends that I'm aware of." Benton pointed out, taking her hand.

Meg closed her eyes, summoning her courage. This was an inevitable conversation she'd been dreading for months.

"I want to, Benton, but I'm just not ready for," she paused, staring down at her hands, "I'm not ready to be intimate. It's been, I haven't since before …." Flustered, she spoke with her hands.

"Since before Iraq." Benton finished quietly.

Meg could only nod. She had put her sexual side away when she came back to Canada.

"I'd still like to spend time alone with you, no expectations." Benton offered, taking her in a loose hug.

Smiling a bit, Meg hugged him back. "Okay, that I can do." She laid her cheek against his shoulder, relieved.

"I'll walk you to your car." Benton laced his fingers with hers. Together they walked down to the street. After a lingering, goodnight kiss they parted for the night. Benton stood on the cracked cement sidewalk, watching Meg's car melt into traffic beyond his block. He shoved his hands deep into his jeans pockets. He hated watching her leave.

"Hey, Dad." Ben shuffled between his bedroom and the bathroom. He yawned, blinking a few times.

"Goodnight, Ben." Benton closed the front door behind him softly.

The younger Fraser stopped short of his bedroom. He noted his father's thoughtful expression.

"Is Meg okay, I heard you talking." Ben shuffled into the living room.

"She's fine, son, just heading home." Benton answered carefully.

Ben looked over at his father. He knew when the Mountie had something on his mind, not to mention he had the freaky, famous Fraser family hearing.

"She's under a lot of stress, isn't she?" Ben leaned against the arm chair, staring openly at his father.

"Yes, she is, between counseling and her college courses she's overworked." A statement of truth, yes, but only the surface.

"She'll be done with classes soon." He chose to look at the bright side.

"I should go on to bed." Ben stretched before ambling back to his room.

"Goodnight, Ben."

"Sleep tight, Dad." Father and son wished each other.

Benton sat up a while longer, thinking of Meg and her reluctance to become intimate. Eventually, he shelved his concerns and went to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Meg's Apartment …**_

Meg dragged herself to home, mentally prepared to spend half the night writing her finals paper. Before stepping onto the elevator, an invention she felt very thankful for, she stopped to check her mail. At first she didn't recognize the address on her only missive -Alaska, but the sender's name rang a bell.

"What is Victoria Metcalf doing writing me a letter?" Meg hitched her backpack on her shoulder before opening the letter.

_Margaret Thatcher,_

_ I received a letter from Ben today. He tells me Benton has become serious about you, that he loves you. I find it hard to believe, knowing Benton as I do. I've known him far longer than you. He won't choose you over his duty or our son. Benton is first and foremost a Mountie and a father. You will always come in third place. Is that enough to build a life on? ~ Victoria_

Meg read the letter twice, puzzled by it the first time and angered the second. How dare Victoria warn her away from Benton. Meg's first thought prompted her to take the letter to Benton's apartment. Her better judgment elbowed that aside. She didn't want to be the jealous, bitter girlfriend tattling.

"I suppose she's entitled to her opinion." Meg growled, shoving the letter in her purse.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Eighth Period**_

Ben turned his Civics paper in with all due trepidation. The ten page paper counted as fifty percent of his final. Mrs. Spencer seemed to enjoy picking apart assignments.

"Thank you, Ben, have a good weekend." The raw boned woman gave him an encouraging smile as he stepped out the door.

"You too, Mrs. Spencer." He feigned a smile.

On his way through the crowded hall, Ben saw his friend, Victor, coming from one direction and Rena McCoy from the other. Ben froze in his tracks. His mouth went dry and he forgot his locker combination.

"Benny, what's up?" Victor asked as usual, his backpack sliding off one thin shoulder. "Ben, you in there?" Victor clapped a hand roughly on his shoulder.

"Huh?" The young man asked as Rena rounded a corner and drifted away.

"Wow, Ben you have it bad for her." Victor elbowed his friend, snickering.

"I do not." Ben declared, his face red.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." Victor snorted, unlocking his locker.

"What are you planning this weekend?" Ben changed the subject, quickly unlocking his combination lock.

"Nothing much, probably gonna do a bunch of extra credit for Spencer." Victor shrugged. He could make straight A's if he chose. Instead, he checked out girls and kept track of the NBA.

"What are you doing?" The pair walked toward the front exit. Constable Fraser waited for them outside.

"Playing hockey, right, Dad?" The boy grinned broadly when he saw his father.

Fraser held the door for one of the other parents; a woman in her late forties. She smiled and batter her eyelashes.

"Yes, Mr. Crook has asked us to dinner Saturday." Fraser took Ben's backpack, resting it easily on one shoulder.

"Maggie is expecting our call this evening." Fraser looked forward to talking to his half sister and her husband, Ray Kowalski.

"She is, isn't she." Just the people Ben needed to talk to for help sending Meg and Benton on a three day vacation.

_**Dinner Time … **_

Ben and Fraser sat down to steamed vegetables and pot roast. Dief licked his chops as Benton carved the tender, spiced meat. Ben's eyes danced as they spent a moment of thankful silence before digging in.

"When do you anticipate a report card?" Benton began. He'd read Ben's Civics paper the night before. How could he receive anything less than an A?

"Friday. All final grades are due in the guidance counselors office by Wednesday." Ben answered, reminding himself to pull his elbows off the table.

"I'll send your mother a copy, she'll be pleased at your progress." Benton looked back to his plate. Victoria Metcalf was still a sore subject.

From then on, dinner conversation turned to the ACT's, the SAT's and college choices. Secretly, Benton hoped and prayed his son would stay in the city for college. He enjoyed having him in his life more than he could ever express.

Ben washed the dinner dishes while his father dried and put them away. They worked in companionable silence until the phone rang. Benton pulled the brickish, cellular device from his jodhpurs pocket.

"Hello, Constable Fraser speaking." He heard Ray's voice on the other end. They talked a while, leaving Ben to finish the dishes. They boy couldn't wait to talk to his Uncle Ray. The former detective would be game for 'Operation Getaway'.

"Ben, Maggie asked for you." Benton stepped into the kitchen as his son dried the last dish; the slow cooker lid.

"Thank you, Dad." Ben handed him the dish towel and clear lid.

"Hey, Aunt Maggie." He strolled to his bedroom. Ben considered sending a letter but decided to risk talking on the phone. He didn't want his father's keen ears to over hear his plan.

"I'm fine." Ben answered before launching into his request. "I want to send Dad and Meg on a weekend getaway. Will you help me?" The boy held his breath. He hoped Uncle Ray had heard him over speaker phone.

"Whatchya need, buddy?" Ray's voice came though loud and clear.

"Uncle Ray, hello. I'm not certain yet. Dad won't like the idea of leaving the state, he and Meg both have to work. Plus, I love Aunt Frannie's house but you know how it is over there. Dief doesn't like the smaller kids pulling on him all the time." The old wolf had begun to show his age in the last few months. Arthritis had settled in his back and hips, slowing him down.

"Yeah, poor fella. Give me and Maggie a couple days to see what we can come up with. We'll call, make a few plans with you." Ray promised. They talked for a little longer, catching up on a week's worth of happenings.

Ben knew he and Maggie would discuss it. Maggie would discuss and Ray would wheedle and sweet talk until she saw it his way.

"Thank you kindly, Aunt Maggie, Uncle Ray." Ben felt confident about 'Operation Getaway'.

As usual, the Mountie worked his way through a hectic week split between the consulate, Ben and the Twenty-seventh Precinct. With so much on his plate, he had little time to think of Meg's intimacy problems or how to solve it. On Friday, Benton and Ben made their monthly call to Victoria. The jailed bank robber noted the weariness in her former lover's voice. She hesitated to ask the cause. They'd come to an understanding that their only common ground and goal was Ben. They didn't meddle in each other's lives. When Benton left the room to answer the door, Victoria turned to her son for answers.

"Is Benton okay, he seems tired." She sounded casual to anyone who didn't know her. Ben sighed.

"Yeah, Dad's fine, he and Meg have both been busy." Ben shrugged. The fifteen year old seemed a lot more confident and content since moving to Chicago two years before. He'd learned about himself and enjoyed the stability and support Fraser provided. Ben had Maggie and Ray K, as well as the Vecchio family to help him along the way.

"Oh, how are they doing these days?" Sarcasm filled her voice. Benton and Meg weren't Victoria's favorite subject.

"They're fine." Ben answered neutrally. He didn't go into specifics about his father's relationship.

"Is there anything you need, Mom?" Ben changed tack. He could see his mother's restless, hazel eyes and still long, mass of curls. Over the years a few lines had appeared, but not to mar her beauty.

"More time with you." She smiled. They bid each other goodnight with love.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Friday …**_

Report cards were handed out the last period of the day. Ben studied his as he walked out of Mrs. Spencer's class. He'd earned an A in her class and a respectable B+ in Geometry. For the most part, Ben kept an A/B average. What he didn't understand in school, his father helped him with in the evenings.

"Hey, how'd you do?" Victor asked, coming up beside his best friend.

"Okay, I guess, how about you?" Ben answered, quickly unlocking his locker.

"Ah, the usual, I'll probably be grounded for the next couple of weeks." Victor shrugged, fumbling with his combination lock.

"Why don't you try to do better in class, then your father wouldn't have any reason to ground you." Ben pointed out logically. Both boys pulled the books they'd need out of their locker and whatever else they needed for the weekend. In unison, they closed their locker doors.

"Is your dad waiting outside?" Victor asked, shouldering his backpack.

"Yes, he's as predictable as an alarm clock." Ben answered with a sigh. He couldn't wait to talk to Uncle Ray again, to plan for 'Operation Getaway'.

Rena walked down the hallway toward the boys, her long, dark hair bouncing as she hurried to her locker. Ben couldn't tear his eyes away from her. They passed, blue eyes locked with dark brown ones. Ben forgot to breath, forgot his surroundings. He saw each freckle across her nose, the bubble gum pink lip gloss shining on her full lips, the dangling heart earrings that matched her printed sweater. Her sugary perfume filled the air, making him dizzy. Rena giggled when Ben ran into the heavy duty, fifty gallon garbage can situated in the center of the hallway. Victor laughed until he became hoarse.

"You okay, Benny?" The scrawny Chicagoan asked as he gasped for breath. Ben held his stomach where he'd slammed into the waist high can.

"Yeah, I'm fine I guess." He answered, embarrassed and confused.

"That chick is gonna be the death of you." Victor coughed, clutching his chest.

_"What a way to go then."_ Ben thought to himself.

After School ….

"Hello, Uncle Ray." Ben greeted.

"Hey, Benny said you got your report card today, how'd ya do?" The former detective had done a fair job in high school, keeping a 3.0 average.

"I made a B plus in Geometry and an A in Civics." Ben crowed, his voice cracking.

Ray grinned, thinking, "Ain't puberty grand!"

"Did you and Aunt Maggie talk about a getaway?" Ben cut to the chase.

"Yes, we did." Maggie cut in, "I've sent a link to a few more web page links to your e-mail for bed and breakfasts."

"Thank you kindly, Aunt Maggie, I'll look at them tomorrow." Ben gave her a rundown of his grades before saying good-bye.

When Ben walked into the living room, he saw his father staring out the kitchen window. Dief lay beside him, snoring loudly.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ben asked, stepping up beside him.

Benton turned, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"Nothing interesting." He shrugged, hands clasped behind his back.

"Meg?" Ben guessed.

"Yes." The elder Fraser turned back to the window.

"Is she alright?" Ben had come to like the retired, lady Mountie. He didn't want anything less than the best for her.

"She's fine, I'm simply thinking about her, nothing more."

Ben looked down at Dief. The old wolf twitched his ears, dreaming.

"I wanted to surprise you, but Aunt Maggie, Uncle Ray and I have been planning a three day getaway for you and Meg." Ben confessed. He swallowed hard, watching his father's reaction.

"That isn't necessary, Son," Benton began.

"I want to, you need a vacation. We've been looking at bed and breakfasts nearby, you could check-in on Friday after work and come back Monday." Ben persisted with his carefully thought out argument.

"Alright, if you insist, but you'll have to schedule it with Meg, she may not be so easily swayed." Benton gave his son a fatherly side hug. He couldn't contain his pride and love for the boy. Ben blessed him daily.

_**Monday …**_

Ben met Victor in the cafeteria for breakfast, as usual.

"Hello, Victor, how are you?" The gangly slacker gave him an unamused eye roll.

"I've got dish and trash duty for a month, no allowance and no games on TV during the play offs." Victor leaned against the stainless steel railing between him and the sneeze guard. "Ma asked me why I couldn't be more like you. I told her it was because I'm not half-Canadian." He took two cartons of chocolate milk from the refrigerator.

"That's not fair …."

"Well, I _wanted _to tell her that, I couldn't get a word in." Victor and Ben moved along the line. "Ma woulda rung my bell if I'd said that." Together they walked past the lunch lady and into the throng of students near the entrance to the cafeteria.

"If I'm ever un-grounded, do you want to …." Ben stopped in his tracks. Rena and her best friend walked through the door. The boy sighed; he could smell her cotton candy body spray across the cavernous space.

"Hey, Buddy, you in there?" Victor nudged Ben's arm.

"Yes, what?" Ben murmured, still under Rena's spell.

"I said, do you want to stay over one night?" Victor enunciated dramatically.

"Yes, I'd like that. I wanted to ask you if Dief and me could stay over Dad and Meg go away for the weekend anyway." Ben followed Victor to their usual seat along the fringes.

"Sure, sounds good, I'll have to ask Ma about Dief though."

The pair ate breakfast, Ben watching Rena the whole time.

"Ben, man, she's gonna think you're a creep if you don't stop watching her." Victor leaned in to speak low.

"No, I was …" Ben shrugged, yeah, he had been watching her. "She probably thinks I'm a creep already." He sighed.

"We're fifteen, there'll be other girls, Benny." Victor crushed his second chocolate milk carton before standing up.

"I suppose you're right." Ben ceded, _"But they won't be as pretty as Rena."_ He thought.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Monday Night ….**_

Meg sat on the couch half asleep; Dief snoring at her feet.

"Should I ask her after dinner or during?" Ben whispered, reaching for plates in the cabinet.

"Putting off a task only makes it worse." Benton caught himself sounding like his father.

"Okay, I'll do it after I set the table." Ben turned, shoulders slumped.

"I've found she's much more receptive after eating." Benton recommended. The boy gave him a brief, hopeful smile.

After dinner, Benn took his usual seat in the arm chair while Meg and Benton settled down on the love seat. Meg had turned the radio to a classical station to soothe her frazzled nerves. She sat with her reading glasses perched on her nose and her laptop on her knees.

"Meg, are you busy?" Ben began, seated on the edge of the dark brown cushion.

"Yes, but I'm glad to stop for a minute." She set the laptop on the coffee table along with her glasses. "What's on your mind?" She pulled her feet up beneath her. Benton laid a lazy hand on her knee; partially to keep from being hit but mostly to connect to her.

"You and Dad have been a couple for a while, right?" The boy's blue eyes studied Meg closely. He rubbed his hands together nervously.

"Yes, about a year, why?" She looked to Benton who continued to read a book about entomology.

"You never spend any time alone, so I think you should go on a vacation. Together, without me or Dief." Ben stopped, now came the hard part.

"Benton, did you know about this?" Meg questioned, her 'Inspector' tone creeping in.

"Let Ben finish." He peered at her above his book, amused.

"Your spring break is in two weeks, Aunt Maggie and Uncle Ray have helped me reserve a room for you at a bed and breakfast a couple hours outside the city." Ben rushed to finish, "You see, you wouldn't really be gone very long." He finished, running his tongue across his lower lip.

Meg sat, floored. She hadn't suspected Ben felt like that. How could she refuse him?

"I'll have to talk to my boss about my schedule first, but I don't see why not." Meg beckoned the teen into a hug. Sheepishly, Ben gave in.

"How are you paying for this?" Meg studied Ben, holding him at arms length a moment.

"He's saved every cent anyone's ever given him." Benton interjected proudly.

"Ray Vecchio and Stella send money from Florida instead of gifts." Ben shrugged, grinning. No one knew what to give him, so they gave money.

"Plus, my allowance and the money I've earned mowing lawns and shoveling snow."

"He's acquired quite a sum the last three years." Benton added.

"Nine hundred, eighty-seven dollars and seventeen cents, as of yesterday." Ben rattled off.

_"He's more like Benton everyday."_ Meg thought fondly. "I'll let you know what my boss says tomorrow, okay." She turned loose of the teen.

"Okay." Ben nodded affirmatively.

Tuesday, Meg knocked on her boss' door. It had taken her a while to adjust to life as an employee. She had her own office, but it wasn't the boss' office anymore.

"Hey, Shana, do you have a moment?" Meg began after the younger woman waved her inside.

"Sure, what's on your mind?" Shana turned away from her computer screen to give Meg her full attention. Her hazel eyes surveyed Meg expectantly.

"Benton and I would like, we," Meg paused, feeling frivolous for asking for a getaway with her boyfriend. "Benton and I have reservations for a three day weekend at the end of my spring break, I'd like to reschedule my appointments that Friday." She finished strong, pushing her reading glasses up with the back of her hand.

"Okay." Shana answered quickly with a huge grin. "You haven't taken any time off since you've been here, it's about time. A long weekend with that delicious silver fox of yours is just what the doctor ordered." She gushed. One instance of Benton bringing Meg lunch and every woman in the office swooned.

"Thank you kindly, I'll let them know in reception." Meg's eyes narrowed, cat-like and dangerous.

"Turn in your leave request to personnel." Shana sat back in her chair, head held high.

"Silver fox, how juvenile." Meg sneered under her breath as she walked past the reception desk beyond Shana's office.

After turning in her leave request, Meg gathered her purse and jacket to have lunch with Benton. She managed to slip out of the office unnoticed, avoiding the inevitable chit chat and office gossip with her co-workers.

Benton strode up the sidewalk toward the diner halfway between the rehab center and the consulate. His red serge caught everyone's attention as he passed. When he saw Meg, he waved, a welcoming smile brightening his face.

"Hello." She called, stopping at the door to the diner. Ever the gentleman, Benton opened it and let Meg through, as well as three people behind her. Meg waited off to the side of the line for him, otherwise she'd have her dinner order fifteen minutes before he did. She didn't like tomato drowned, soggy flat bread.

"Where's Diefenbaker?" Meg asked, shuffling along in line behind a bank cashier with a long list of lunch orders.

"He stayed at the consulate, he's been rather lethargic of late. He hasn't been sleeping well." Benton answered, hands behind his back as he met Meg's gaze. She momentarily lost her train of thought, as so often happened looking into his Atlantic blue eyes.

"Meg, what would you like to order?" Benton asked, redirecting her attention to the young man behind the deli counter. Discomfited, she rattled off her order and moved along to the register.

_"Blast his hide, he still turns my brain into mush."_ Meg fumed silently. He could turn her inside out with a single look. She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and pull him into an indecently passionate kiss. Even after being a couple for a year, she still couldn't get enough of Constable Benton Fraser.

Taking their orders to a table in the back, Benton and Meg settled down for a few minutes down time. Benton laid his Stetson on the seat to his right while Meg laid her purse on the other spare seat. After unwrapping their orders, trading half of their sandwiches and sipping iced tea, they were ready to talk.

"I spoke to Shana before I left for lunch, she granted my leave request for our three day weekend." Meg began, biting a dill pickle slice afterward.

"Ben was excited that you accepted. He has the whole weekend scheduled to the quarter hour." Benton stole one of Meg's whole grain chips while she snagged one of his onions.

"I had no idea he thought that highly of me, the bed and breakfast must have cost him every cent he's saved." Meg wiped her chin with a paper napkin, hoping she hadn't left any barbecue sauce behind.

"I believe he sees you as a female role model in his life. I'm keen to show him that not every relationship ends as disastrously as …." The Mountie's voice trailed off. He couldn't bring himself to say Victoria's name, not to Meg.

"I believe Ben knows that, he comes from a long line of intelligent men." Meg laid a reassuring hand on his arm. "Maggie and Ray seem to be a solid couple, as do Ray and Stella, Francesca and her husband, do I need to go on?"

"Yes, those are some fine examples of good relationships, as are you and I." Ben ceded to logic. He never ceased to be amazed by Meg's brilliance, by her quick mind and soft touch, when she chose.

"You've never been more right." She agreed, returning to her sandwich.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Tuesday At School ….**_

Victor counted down the minutes until the final school bell rang. Mrs. Spencer rattled on about Napoleon and his failed invasion of Russia, or so the youth thought. He hadn't really been paying attention. Who cared about Napoleon?

Ben, on the other hand, had been listening intently. His text book didn't go into nearly enough detail to suit him. His father had recommended two others; one on Napoleon's battles and the other on the French Revolution. Benton had talked at length about the French Revolution and how it affected Canadian history.

"Alright, for homework I want you to work on questions 1,3,5,7,9 and the open response questions. Remember to use complete sentences, no text shortcuts, and a paragraph has to have a minimum of six sentences." Mrs. Spencer reminded the class before the bell rang. Her voice barely carried over the sound of students' voices and desks moving as they escaped out the door.

Ben and Victor were two of the last students to leave. They walked toward their lockers together. The scent of cigarette smoke tinged the spring air flowing through the open windows. Students talked and teachers reminded them of homework assignments.

"How did it go last night?" Victor asked, whizzing through his locker combination. He hefted his backpack up onto one, thin shoulder.

"Meg said she'd have to talk to her boss, but I think it went great. She's going to let me know tonight." Ben answered, gathering his other books for homework.

"Ben, are you busy?" A familiar, female voice asked, surprising both boys. Ben nearly swallowed his adam's apple when he turned around. Rena stood behind him, her bag slung across her shoulder.

"Rena, yes, I mean, no, um." Ben swallowed hard, chewing on his bottom lip after stuttering.

"He's not busy, what do you need?" Victor answered for him.

"I was wondering if you would help me with Geometry, I've got to get my grade up or I won't be able to play softball." Rena's soft voice didn't quite penetrate Ben's brain. All he saw were her dark eyes, long, silky hair and pink lips.

"Geometry, he's a whiz at it, he'll help out, no problem." Victor volunteered, which did penetrate.

"Help, yes, I'd like that." Ben stumbled. Rena wrote her phone number on a piece of lavender notebook paper and handed it to Ben.

"I really appreciate this, it's sweet of you to take the time." She smiled before turning to leave. Ben watched her toss her hair over her shoulder before turning the corner and disappearing into the crowd.

"Jackpot!" Victor crowed, slapping Ben on the shoulder. "She is so into you."

"Into me? No, she just needs help with her Geometry." Ben corrected, Rena's phone number still clutched in his hand.

"Yeah, right. She could have asked Mrs. Salmons or Keyur Patel for help. She could have asked you to help her at lunch. Ben, buddy, she gave you her home phone number, that's more than needing help with Geometry." Victor pointed out.

"I doubt that." Ben shook his head, closing his locker. "Dad's waiting on us." His feet may have tread the tiles, but his head plowed through the clouds.

Benton waited patiently outside the high school. Diefenbaker lay in a spot of sunshine on the sidewalk. Some of the kids bent down to pet him, which he tolerated. The Mountie wondered at his old friend's lack of begging. Over the years, they'd both gotten stiffer and grayer. Still, Dief trotted wherever Fraser chose to lead.

"Hey, Dad." Ben greeted, a bright smile on his youthful face. The Mountie saw so much of himself in the boy lately.

"Hello, how was school?" Benton adjusted his Stetson after tipping it to one of the teachers standing bus duty.

"It was great, how was the consulate?" Ben walked beside his father, Dief and Victor trailing behind.

"I spoke to Meg at lunch. Her boss approved her request for leave. She's coming over for supper tonight." Benton walked with is hands clasped behind his back. "Would you like to join us, Victor?"

"No thanks, Constable Fraser, I'm still grounded." He answered ruefully.

"Another time perhaps." Fraser let it drop.

"Tell him who gave you her number." Victor shoved Ben playfully from behind.

"Oh, a young lady gave you her number?" Benton lifted a questioning brow.

"Yes, Rena, but it's just because she needs help in Geometry."

Fraser noted a certain wistfulness in his son's voice. He knew how the boy felt. Even at his age, women were still a mystery.

"When are you going to call her?" Fraser asked, casually.

"After supper." Ben answered without reservation. Why shouldn't he call her as soon as possible?

"Nah, wait a day or two, you don't want her thinking you're her slave er somethin'." Victor interjected.

"Rena asked for help, the polite thing would be to help as soon as possible." Fraser countermanded.

"Yes, I suppose." Ben agreed half heartedly. He wanted to spend time with Rena as soon as possible but he also wanted to impress her. He didn't know what to do. _"I'll ask Meg later."_ He resolved silently.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Tuesday Evening …. **_

A deep, male voice sang "The Green Green Grass of Home" on the radio. Dief lay on his dog bed, dozing peacefully. Meg hummed along with the radio as she cooked in Benton's small kitchen. She squinted at the recipe, despite her reading glasses.

"Benton, what does this say?" She called, the recipe card in one hand and a spatula in the other.

The Constable laid aside the newspaper to go to the kitchen. He passed Ben sitting at the kitchen table, doing homework. Absently, he ruffled the boy's short, dark brown hair.

"They should have to print everything at a minimum of size fourteen font. This is ridiculous." Meg fumed, handing him the thin, white, index card.

"The recipe says to simmer for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally." He handed the card back. "And you need to have an eye exam." He pressed a kiss against her cheek to soften the glare he received. Meg still felt touchy about her eyesight, especially when she had trouble with simple things.

"Thank you." She said, stirring the pound of loose hamburger, canned baked beans, one cup of barbecue sauce and one cup of ketchup simmering in a cast iron skillet. "Will you make the mashed potatoes while you're here?" Meg asked, pointing toward a kettle of peeled, cooked potatoes on the back burner.

"It would be my pleasure." Benton answered, pulling out the drawer where he kept the potato masher. For a while they worked in companionable silence. Meg minded the "hamburger stuff" as her mother had titled it. Benton mashed the potatoes, also humming along with the radio.

"Ben, would you set the table, please?" Benton asked, gently reminding the boy of his chore.

"Sorry, Dad, I forgot." Quickly, he stuffed his homework into his text book and set them on the window sill until later. Meg noticed how tall Ben had grown as he reached for plates in the cabinet. He looked more like his father every day.

_"He'll be a heart breaker in a few years, if he isn't already. I hope he's more at ease with girls than Benton."_ Meg thought to herself, smiling secretively.

Dinner on the table, the three sat down to eat. Benton poured Diefenbaker a fresh bowl of water and kibble before taking his seat. The old wolf begged for some hamburger stuff but Benton refused.

Ben silently watched as his father and Meg talked of current events in the news as well as their jobs. Meg asked after people she'd worked with while at the consulate. Some of them had retired since her days in Chicago. Ben wondered what it was like to be her age, or his father's. They'd seen and done so much.

"You're quiet tonight." Meg asked, dishing out a no-bake cheesecake drenched in strawberries and glaze. She studied the teen a second before attending to her favorite dessert.

"I've just got things on my mind. I'm fine." Ben answered, a half hearted smile on his face.

"Okay, let me know if there's anything I can help with." Meg offered, then let the subject drop. Ben smiled a little broader then bit into his slice of cheesecake.

After dessert, Benton took Dief for a walk around the block. Meg washed dishes while Ben dried and put them away. He worked methodically, making sure both the inside and outside of each dish was bone dry. Meg watched him, wondering at his preoccupation. She didn't want to pry or seem pushy. She remembered her teen years and the way every question her parents asked seemed like an invasion of privacy. Ben wouldn't keep it to himself for long. He took after his father too much.

Meg cleaned the sink while Ben dried the cast iron skillet. The boy laid it on the table and came to stand beside Meg.

"When you were my age, if you asked a guy for homework help and gave him your phone number, when did you expect him to call you?" Ah, girl trouble. Ben frowned, his blue eyes dark as he waited for Meg to answer.

"By the next day I suppose, I was an impatient teenager." Meg answered honestly. "Who asked for your help?" She tried to sound casual and not make an embarrassing fuss.

"Rena McCoy, she's a softball player and a cheerleader." Ben answered, dreamy eyed.

"I take it she's the prettiest girl in school?" Meg asked, sneaking a look at Ben.

"Yeah, she is. Every time I see her I get tongue tied and can't think clearly." Ben admitted, leaning against the counter. Meg smiled, shaking her head.

"Is she nice?" Meg asked, hoping this girl wouldn't break Ben's heart. She wanted so much for him. He deserved all the love and happiness life had to offer.

"I think so, but I don't really know her very well."

"Look at how she treats others, if she's nice, she's a keeper." Meg advised. She wished someone had given her that advice years ago.

"I think I'll call her in a little while." Ben stepped away from the sink. He put away the skillet and pulled out his homework.

"Are you and Dad going to the bed and breakfast?" Ben asked, looking up from his English text book.

"Yes. I but in a leave request this morning. All I'm waiting for is for Benton to ask for that Friday off." Meg sat down at the table across from Ben. He nodded, a pleased grin on his features. She noticed his smattering of freckles and youthful, round cheeks. Meg felt a familiar ache welling up. God, she wanted him to be her son. She wanted her own daughter to be there with her.

"Benton and Dief have been gone for a long time." Meg stood up, pushing the ache back down.

"Dief probably found an interesting scent, well, maybe Dad did." Ben grinned. He still couldn't believe some of the things he'd seen his dad stick his nose in. The boy tried to forget the things he'd seen the Mountie taste.

"Yes, he does seem to attract trouble." Meg chuckled to herself. She remembered their time in an egg incubator as well as a trip on an antique sailing ship.

Half an hour later, Benton came in carrying Dief. The old wolf looked at Meg with the most pitiful expression. He whined softly as Benton set him down on his dog bed in the corner of the living room.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Ben asked, concerned. He walked out of the kitchen to kneel down beside his furry friend.

"He's been complaining about his hips for a while. The trip up the stairs was too much, especially after chasing the ice cream truck for two blocks." Benton wagged an admonishing finger at the old wolf.

"All you had to do was ask, I'd have given you a scoop." Ben whispered as he stroked Dief's head and chest. Dief gave him a grateful face licking.

"I've never known Dief to be so feeble." Meg remarked as she and Benton watched the boy and the wolf.

"He's quite old. He was three years old when I first came to Chicago hunting my father's killer." Benton ran his thumb nail over his left brow. Meg could tell Dief's condition concerned him.

"Diefenbaker is older than Ben?" Meg realized, which made her feel old.

"Yes, by roughly four years."

"How long do wolves live, generally?" Meg asked.

Ben walked up to them, brows knit in concern. "Is Dief going to be alright?" He whispered, his back to the old wolf.

"I'm not sure, son." Benton answered honestly.

"I hope so." The boy sighed, looking down at his shoes.

"Are you going to call Rena this evening?" Meg changed the subject. She couldn't handle the matching looks of worry on their faces.

"Yes, I will before it gets any later." Ben's face brightened, his eyes lighting up like sapphires. Benton and Meg watched as Ben took the cordless phone into his bedroom. Benton pulled Meg into a side hug, planting a kiss against her cheek.

"What was that for?" She nestled against this solid frame, looking up into his loving eyes.

"You're a good mother." Benton spoke solemnly.

Meg didn't know how to respond. She didn't think of herself as Ben's mother. She'd had no part in raising him.

"I'm not trying to take Victoria's place." Meg assured Benton seriously. "I'm not angling to be his stepmother."

"No one could take her place, but I'm glad he has you just the same." Benton leaned in, kissing Meg in earnest. His fingers slid into her hair, cradling her head. Meg closed her eyes and leaned into him. She couldn't have moved if she'd wanted. Love had nailed her feet to the floor.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Two Weeks Later …. **_

Meg waited outside Benton's apartment on Friday morning. She'd already packed her suitcase in the trunk. Now, she waited for Ben, Dief and Benton to carry their things to the car.

"Are you certain Victor's mother doesn't mind picking up your things after school?" Benton asked as Dief shot out the door first. Ben followed his father.

"Dad, you talked to her yourself last night, she agreed to pick us up at school and come by the apartment for my clothes." Ben assured the Mountie. It annoyed him, the way his father worried over every detail, but at the same time he felt lucky and grateful to have someone love him so much.

"Alright, yes. If you need anything, remember, I'm only a phone call away. Do you have my cellular phone number?" Benton peered over the trunk lid at his son. Dief had jumped in the back seat and made himself comfortable.

"Yes, I have it in my wallet, I've memorized it, as well as Meg's, Aunt Maggie's numbers, Aunt Frannie's, and Ms. Bresbiss' number." Ben rattled off tolerantly.

"Very well, now, give me a hug." Benton threw open his arms, beckoning his son. Ben gave him a baleful look but moved in closer.

"It's either here or at school, in front of all your friends." Benton reminded him.

_"Grandpa Bob would roll over in his grave if he saw this." _Ben thought to himself.

After a quick, man hug, they parted, Ben for the back seat and Benton for the front. Meg took off quickly, maneuvering into rush hour traffic smoothly.

Benton watched Victor and Ben walk into school in the side view mirror until they disappeared.

He sighed lightly, letting the boy grow up felt hard. Benton wondered how other parents handled it.

"He'll be alright, Benton, he's level headed and responsible." Meg patted his knee as they headed west, out of the city.

"That's what my head tells me." Benton took her hand in his, squeezing gently.

"You know it in your heart too. Ben's fifteen, almost sixteen, he keeps his grades up and doesn't hang around with riffraff." Meg reminded him. Still, she knew it wouldn't completely erase his worry.

"I'm looking forward to this weekend, I haven't taken a vacation in the last two years." Benton changed the subject. He still held Meg's hand, a playful smile on his lips.

"I'm looking forward to it too, a few days away from the office and homework sounds heavenly." Meg smiled, glancing over at Benton. They had two more hours to drive before arriving at

Beachton Bed and Breakfast.

_**High School ….**_

Victor elbowed Ben in the ribs when he saw Rena strolling their way. Quickly, Ben shoved his book bag inside and closed his locker door.

"Hey, Ben, Mrs. Salmons says my grade is improving. You're tutoring has helped so much." Rena spoke softly, her glittering eyes distracting Ben. He saw her glossed lips moving but didn't hear a word. Victor's bony elbow in his ribs prompted the boy to speak.

"You're very welcome, Rena." Ben managed before ducking his head to study his tennis shoes.

"Maybe you and your friend could join Tabitha and I at the moves one day next week." Rena offered.

Ben felt his throat tighten and his heart hammer. He didn't know if he could speak.

"Yeah, we'd like that, thanks." Victor answered for him.

"Good, I'll let you know when." With a finger wave, Rena turned and walked to her locker, around the corner.

Ben leaned against his locker, recuperating. Movies, with Rena, he couldn't believe his good fortune.

"She's so into you." Victor crowed, banging on his locker door. One of the teachers patrolling the hall glared at him.

"I don't think so, it's just the movies." Ben floated back down to reality. He felt pressure begin to rest on his shoulder.

"She's your dream girl, you've been drooling over her all year. First, it's the tutoring, now it's the movies." Victor punched his friend playfully in the arm.

"I know, but the movies are different, I've never been to the movies with a girl, well, Meg, but she doesn't count." Ben and Victor shuffled toward their first classes, the tardy bell about to ring.

"You got this, Buddy." Victor headed for Driver's Ed while Ben stopped at Mrs. Terlizzi's door for A.P. English.

"Homework, please." Mrs. Terlizzi called to her students. Ben slipped into his seat near the front two seconds before the tardy bell. He barely heard a word the teachers said all day. Rena's movie offer kept rolling around in his head.

_**Beachton Bed and Breakfast ….**_

Meg pulled into a small, rural town with one, main street and two stop lights. Ornamental trees lined the sidewalks. The tallest building in town consisted of three stories and housed the courthouse, ambulance service, library and several other public service offices under one roof.

"This is what I've heard called 'Americana'." Benton commented, pointing toward the stars and strips chasing the breeze above the Post Office.

"It looks like a Norman Rockwell painting." Meg added, noting the wrought iron fence surrounding the courthouse lawn. She drove her compact car along a two lane road, following her GPS. Less than a mile outside town they saw a sign advertising the bed and breakfast. After a left onto a long, gravel drive, the couple arrived. Morning light bathed the white Victorian in golden light. Hearty Irises in blues, purples, yellows and white stood proudly, drinking in the morning sun. Meg parked in a gravel lot to the side of the house beside a few other cars. She stepped out and surveyed her surroundings. Beyond the house she saw a path leading to a lake. The water looked inviting, but the chill in the spring air told her otherwise.

"Shall we check in?" Benton broke the silence. He carried Meg's bag as well as his ruck sack.

"Ben has very good taste, this is beautiful." Meg lead the way up the front walk, onto the wrap around porch and into the entrance. The scent of Lemon Pledge filled the air as well as fresh cut flowers.

"Hello, come on in." A woman in her late sixties greeted the Canadians. She held a cleaning rag and a spray can. With the back of her hand, she pushed her heavy, owlish glasses back into place. "I'm Hannah, you must be the Frasers. Pleased to meet you." she set her cleaning things aside to shake hands.

"I'm Meg Thatcher, this is Benton Fraser." Meg introduced.

"Ah, a Fraser and not "the Frasers", I see, sorry about that." Hannah smiled, shuffling toward a desk near the front door.

Meg trailed behind, looking at old photographs on display. She wondered why no one smiled in early twentieth century photos. Was life so hard that they couldn't smile? She felt Benton at her side. He squinted at a photo of a soldier from World War One.

"Here we are, you're in the Adair Cottage." Hannah read from the laptop on the glass topped, antique desk. She pulled out two magnetic key cards and handed them to Meg. Hannah lead them to a private cottage behind the house. It faced the west, just as the main house. The small, modern log cabin offered a living-dining room on the first level and the bedroom on the top, half level.

"If you don't want to climb the steps, the couch pulls out to make a decent bed." Hannah pushed a strand of gray hair away from her round face. "Breakfast is from six until ten, supper from six to eight, there are a few restaurants in town and a pizza delivery place." She tapped some take out menus on the coffee table with a chubby finger. "If you need anything call day or night, someone's always on duty. Are there any questions?"

Meg shook her head, keeping her impatience to herself. She wanted to lock the door and take a long, cuddling nap with Benton.

"Thank you kindly, ma'am." Benton nodded, gesturing with his Stetson.

"Have a good weekend." With a wave, Hannah left the couple alone.

Meg walked around the small cabin. A Thomas Kincade reproduction hung over the small, flat screen television. A navy couch cut the living area off from the table for two kitchen. A coffee pot and microwave sat on the bar beside the sink. A miniscule restroom lay behind the only door inside the cottage.

"Now what? Are you hungry?" Meg asked, turning back to Benton.

"Yes, but not for food." He closed the distance between them. Meg closed her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her. She smelled his soap, his laundry detergent, felt his solid form against her. She drank him in, committed to memory the feel of his lips against hers. Benton left her reeling when he pulled away. Meg hung limp in his arms for a moment.

_"I could use a steady diet of his kisses."_ She thought to herself, smiling.

"Would you like to eat in or out?" Benton broke the spell, bringing Meg back to reality.

With a sigh, she stepped back. _"We have all weekend."_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Beachton ….**_

Meg tossed Benton the car keys before they headed out the cabin door. He looked at her, one brow raised questioningly. She hated the way he drove usually.

"I want to look around for a change." Meg answered, opening her own door. It had been ages since she'd sat back and enjoyed the view.

Benton adjusted the seat, buckled his safety belt, then proceeded to adjust every singe mirror on the car to suit himself. Meg had long ago buckled her seat belt. Benton tipped the rear view mirror up, then down, as well as from side to side. He then adjusted the side mirrors before going back to the rear view mirror. By the time he inserted the key into the ignition, Meg was ready to break the mirrors off and order him to drive. Instead, she bit her tongue and reminded herself that she was his girlfriend, not his Inspector.

"Now, we're ready. Where are we going?" Benton asked, hand on the gear shift.

"The nearest restaurant." Meg answered after a calming breath.

"Very well. I thought I saw one along Main Street." Benton put the car in reverse and hit the gas pedal. His quick stop to avoid a parked car behind them threw Meg forward, against her safety belt.

"I'm sorry." Benton apologized, easing the car forward gently. With a few jerking stops, he found his way back to town at a snail's pace. Meg thanked her lucky stars it was a rural road and not Chicago.

Benton parked in the center of a line of roadside parking spots up the street from the Beechnut Restaurant. A large, Beech tree with wide spread branches decorated the front picture window and the billboard above the one story building. A dozen tables set scattered along the modest space. They all wore cheerful, spring leaf table cloths and linen wrapped flat ware.

"Hello, come on in." A friendly, brunette waitress greeted them from behind the counter to the left. "We aren't busy, so sit where you like. I'm Emma." She quickly rounded the short counter to meet them. Meg admired her tan uniform shirt emblazoned with the restaurant's logo. The waitress followed them to a table along the front window. She set two menus down on the table and pulled an order pad from her apron pocket.

"What can I get you to drink?" She made eye contact with Meg but Benton held her gaze after he'd looked to Meg to order first.

"I'll have coffee." Meg answered, breaking the waitress' stare.

"I'll have sweet tea if you have it, thank you kindly." Benton ordered without looking away from Meg. He felt the waitress' eyes lingering on him and began to blush.

"Alright, I'll be back in just a moment." The waitress replied in a breathy voice. Dreamy eyed, she floated back to the counter.

"Pssst, Benton, she's gone." Meg tapped his foot with her own. The Mountie gave her a slight smile and picked up a menu.

"Do you always get such good service when you go out to eat?" Meg asked, teasing.

"Unfortunately, yes, I do." He answered, shrugging.

"Should I be jealous?" Meg persisted, pulling his menu down to look at him. She wore an impish smile.

"Never." Benton answered, his blue eyes laughing. Meg giggled, taking his hand across the table. Benton gave her a flirtatious wink and an open, honest smile.

"I can't wait to get you back to the cabin." His smile switched to a sexy grin, his blue eyes dark with desire. It was Meg's turn to blush.

"We have two more days, why don't we take in the sights this afternoon." Meg suggested, trying to hide her anxiety. She hadn't been intimate with anyone since her ordeal in Iraq. She felt nervous and scared, like the first time she'd gone all the way as a teenager. This time there was more at stake.

"Alright, according to Ben's itinerary, there's a historical museum on the outskirts of town. That should prove interesting, or, there is a zip line a few miles away." Benton offered, reading over the list of activities the younger Fraser had written out for him. The boy had given each of them a copy, just in case.

"The museum sounds good, I could use a walk." Meg answered, studying her menu blandly. Her heart hammered in her chest. _"Maybe this weekend wasn't such a good idea. Maybe it's too soon?"_ She thought to herself.

After lunch, Meg followed the directions Ben had printed to a small, red building on the outskirts of Beachton. Benton hummed along with the radio playing softly as they rode. Meg's mind still questioned her decision to spend a three day weekend with him. Part of her wanted this more than anything, while the other part kept telling her he would be repulsed by the sight of her undressed. Her head told her it wasn't true, while her emotions mocked her.

_**Chicago …. **_

Victor's mother, Annette, waited outside the school in her SUV, Diefenbaker in the back seat. The old wolf hung his head out the window, sniffing the air. He barked happily when he saw Ben and Victor exit the brick building.

"Hey, Dief." Ben gave his furry friend a scratch between the ears and let him lick his face. Dief gave Victor the same treatment before going back to Ben. "I don't have anything for you today, fella."

"I have bottled water, bananas and oatmeal raisin cookies for you." Annette handed each teenager a water and a sandwich bag of goodies.

"Thank you." Ben said, buckling his seat belt.

"These are good, Mom, thanks." Victor chimed in, his voice cracking.

"You're welcome." Annette smiled, looking at them in the rear view mirror. She pulled the SUV into traffic, following a school bus. Traffic around the high school crawled.

"So, when are you going to call Rena and ask her to the movies?" Victor asked quietly, munching on his third cookie.

"I don't know, she invited you too." Ben answered, peeling his banana. He didn't want to talk about Rena. Every time he did, he felt nervous and giddy.

"Yeah, but she was looking right at you when she said it, I was an after thought." Victor tapped his friend on the shoulder with his banana.

"I'll call her later, after dinner." Ben shrugged it off.

Annette saw the boy's ears turning red in the mirror. Ben had never been anything but easy going and polite in her presence. She was glad her son had such a good friend.

_**After Dinner ….**_

Ben volunteered himself and Victor for dish duty. There weren't many scraps with Dief staying the night. Victor kept leaning out the kitchen door to hear the baseball stats on television. He dried one plate to Ben washing three and the dinner glasses.

"Victor, they'll be on again in the morning, you're falling behind." Ben called, snapping a dish towel to get his attention.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but I gotta know if I'm gonna have to avoid Andrew Monoli tomorrow or not, I owe him five bucks if his team won." Victor waved Ben away.

"That's gambling, you shouldn't gamble." Ben stood only an inch away when Victor turned back to argue. The boy nearly fell out the swinging door.

"Geez, Ben, don't do that." Victor grabbed his chest and leaned on the door frame.

"Do what?" Ben asked innocently.

"Don't scare me like that, you shaved ten years off my life."

"Okay, I'm sorry." Ben went back to drying a cast iron skillet. Victor put the dry dishes in the cabinet as well as the flatware. For good measure, he even took out the garbage. He and Ben went to his room, Dief brining up the rear.

"Is he okay, he didn't knock me over at dinner for my chocolate filled donut." Victor asked, hitching his thumb over his shoulder at Dief.

"Yeah, he's alright." Ben turned to look at the wolf. "You'd tell me if you weren't, right?" he knelt down to Dief's level, scratching his head. The wolf closed his eyes and enjoyed the attention.

"He's really old, older than us isn't he?" Victor sat down in the hallway beside the wolf, stroking his silky coat.

"Yeah, he was fully grown when I was born." Ben tried to remember how old Dief would be in human years. He lost count when the numbers added up to over a century.

"Maybe he'll still be around when you and Rena have kids." Victor teased, shoving Ben playfully.

"Victor!" Ben shoved back.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you haven't thought about kissing her." Victor fell back on his butt, grinning. Dief pushed Ben, making him fall backwards. Then the old wolf had to sniff both boys.

"She's just being nice because I helped her bring her Geometry grade up." Ben shrugged, turning back to the sudsy sink. "I'll call her after I finish my homework." He said quietly, relishing the idea of hearing her voice over the phone again.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Beachton ….**_

Benton and Meg opted for diner at the main house with the rest of the bed and breakfast's patrons. The dining room had been decorated in creamy whites and elegant blues. Hannah manned the buffet with a genial smile. The spread boasted moist turkey, dressing, gravy, green beans, and a wide variety of salad fixings. Meg ate lightly, anxious about going back to the cabin for the night with Benton.

Benton noticed Meg's worried ways. She picked at her salad while he ate heartily. He suspected she felt nervous about intimacy. Benton too felt the pressure. He hadn't gotten close or been intimate with anyone in ages. He'd tucked that part of himself away after Meg left for the CSIS. It was easier than opening himself up again.

"How long have you been together?" A beaming, twenty-something blonde from Vermont asked across the table from the Canadians.

"About a year." Meg answered, glancing at Benton.

"I think it's great to see a mature couple in a new relationship, it's so inspiring." The Vermonter gushed, taking her boyfriend's free hand in hers.

"Mature couple! Listen here …." Before Meg could shift her rant into gear, Benton took her by the hand and excused them politely. Fuming all the way, she let him hustle her onto the porch.

"How dare that brat say such a thing! The nerve! I've know you longer than she's been alive." Meg paced the front of the wrap around porch, her stride steady and fast.

"Meg, I'm sure she didn't mean anything by what she said, she came to the wrong conclusion based on your answer." Benton took Meg by the shoulders and made her look up at him. "This is by no means a 'new' relationship." He pointed out, stroking her cheek.

Meg took a deep breath, letting out a growl as she looked up at him by the light of a bug zapper hanging from the ceiling beam. Benton gave her a reassuring smile and pulled her into a side hug.

"Come on, let's go back to the cabin. I packed a special, relaxing blend of bark tea. Maggie says it works wonders on Ray." Benton softly suggested, steering her up the dimly lit path to their cabin.

Once inside, the door locked and their shoes discarded, Benton and Meg sat down on the couch. Meg hadn't said a word, mulling over the blonde's _'mature couple'_ comment.

"What's on your mind?" Benton leaned over, pulling Meg against him.

"It's not fair, I still feel like I'm in my twenties, most days anyway." She laid her hand on her stomach. She still had bad days stemming from the gunshot wound the previous year in Spencer Falls.

"So do I, but the world doesn't see us that way. Sometimes I look at Ben and think I'm looking in a mirror, then I realize I'm more than thirty years older than I was when I was his age." Benton leaned his cheek against the top of Meg's head.

"Time isn't fair, you're supposed to have accomplished something by the time you're my age, a home, a family, retirement." Meg complained, most of the sting gone.

"Chicago is your home, Ben and myself are your family, as for retirement, I think you're doing the world a bigger, better service by counseling PTSD sufferers." Benton countered. He felt proud of her, conquering her own demons and using her experience to help others.

"My heart tells me all that but my head says I could have done things differently." Meg leaned back, frustrated.

"It's been a long day, why don't you take a shower and relax." Benton suggested, squeezing her gently and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"I'm not ready to lay down for the night." Meg pulled away, sitting on the edge of the couch cushion. "Have you talked to Ben for the night?" she redirected. Benton noticed the way her brows didn't quite relax and the way she pulled herself away, toward the arm of the couch.

"No, it's another hour before he'll expect my call." Benton checked his father's RCMP issue watch, eight o'clock. He wanted to spend the next hour making-out on the couch, but he didn't see it happening that evening.

"I think I'll take a walk." Meg popped up, heading toward the door. She crammed her feet into her loafers.

"Alright, I'll go along." Benton offered, shoving his feet into his tennis shoes.

Meg turned, hand on the door knob. Their eyes locked and she shook her head.

"I'll be okay."

Before Benton could move, she'd stepped out and closed the door firmly behind her.

"Let her go, Son, she's at a crossroads, she just needs time."

Benton whirled, looking toward the banister upstairs. There stood his father, hands clasped behind his back, decked out in his red serge.

"Dad, it's been nearly two years. I didn't expect to see you again." Benton stood up, eyes wide.

"Ah, that long, it seems like yesterday to me. How's my grandson?" Bob Fraser strolled down the stairs and into the kitchenette.

"Ben is fine, he's staying the weekend with his best friend." Benton walked toward the apparition, wondering if he were tired enough to hallucinate.

"Good, friends are important. You didn't have nearly enough interaction with children your own age growing up." Bob studied the glass top stove as he spoke. Shaking his head in distaste, he turned back to his son.

"I had one or two good friends as a child." Benton pointed out weakly. "I have plenty of friends now."

Bob Fraser raised a questioning eye brow but kept silent. Benton stepped closer, frowning.

"Dad, why are you here?"

"It's about your inspector. You're crowding her, rushing her into something she's not ready for." The elder Mountie explained, trying to touch the faucet knobs. His hand swiped right through, as usual.

"She's not my 'inspector', Meg took medical retirement last year." Benton scratched at his eye brow, glaring at his father's ghost.

"She's not ready for this kind of weekend, Son. She has wounds that haven't healed." Bob ignored his son's glare, examining a local landscape painting behind the television.

"I've told Meg I've no expectations for this weekend, it's her choice." Benton gestured, watching his father study the small, plasma screen television.

"A holiday like this has built in expectations for a woman, it's a lover's getaway after all." Fraser Sr pointed out.

"Dad!" Benton growled, embarrassed. He pinched the bridge of his nose, struggling to hold his tongue.

"Women are like fish, Son, to land one you have to give them a little slack before reeling them in." Bob Fraser gestured, his blue eyes sparkling.

"Women are not at all like fish, …."

"No, we aren't." Meg said, walking through the cabin door. Benton looked around the room for his father's ghost before turning around to see Meg.

"Who were you talking to?" Meg asked, kicking off her loafers.

"To myself I suppose." Benton answered with a head shake.

"You haven't done that in a long time." Meg walked toward him, their earlier conversation forgotten.

"How was your walk, you weren't gone long." Benton redirected, smoothing his brow with his thumbnail.

"There isn't really anywhere to walk to around here. I needed a moment to think."

Benton watched her take a deep breath, her hands clasped in front of her. She took a deep breath and continued. "Ben sent us on this three day weekend so we could spend some time alone. I thought it would be a good time for us to talk, to discuss things." Meg moved past Benton and sat down on the sofa. "It's been a long time since I've," she cleared her throat, "since I've been with anyone, romantically."

"Let's not dwell on the past, Meg, …." Benton began, perching on the coffee table in front of her.

"Let me, let me finish," Meg looked him square in the eye, determined to get through it. "It's been even longer since I've been with someone, a very long time, since my tenure at the consulate." She stopped and let out a breath. "In Spencer Falls I told you what happened, about my Alice. I haven't been _with_ anyone since." Meg studied Benton, trying to gauge his reaction. His blue eyes never left her face, the love she saw there never wavered.

"Meg, if you don't want to, it isn't important to me, I never want to cause you pain." Benton switched to the couch, taking her hands in his.

"I love you, I trust you. I think it's time for this." She squeezed Benton's hand, leaning in to kiss him. Slowly, she rose, pulling him with her. She led him up the stairs to the waiting queen sized bed.

Benton turned down the bed and stripped down to his t-shirt and boxers. With his back turned, Meg changed into brand new, maroon, silk pajamas. She shook as she tried to button the blouse.

_"It's Benton, he loves me, he understands, they're just scars."_ Meg told herself. When she saw him sitting in the bed, waiting for her to join him, her resolve wavered.

"No pressure." Benton reassured her, smiling lovingly up at her.

Meg lay on her side, curled like a cat. Benton nestled in behind her, a protective arm around her waist. Cool, air conditioned air drifted down on them as they napped beneath one thousand count Egyptian cotton sheets.

"Benton, I'd like to show you something." Meg spoke quietly.

"Alright." Benton rose up on his elbow.

Slowly, she began to unbutton her thin, silk pajama top as she faced away from him. Her fingers moved slowly. Meg dreaded revealing the less desirable side of herself. She slid the creamy silk off her shoulders to reveal long, raised scars. She dropped the material to show scars over every inch of her back as well as the backs of her arms.

"I told you what happened in Iraq, about what they did to me ..." Meg's voice weakened before trailing off.

"I had no idea." Benton reached out to touch a scar near the nape of her neck. His fingertips tickled, making Meg shiver. Benton pressed a kiss to the scar. He wished he could take them away and the pain left behind.

Meg turned to him, laying on her side again. Her dark brown eyes looked up at him, seeking understanding or pity, Benton couldn't decide which.

"This is why I haven't wanted to," she gestured, "to, you know."

Benton let a smile pull at the corner of his mouth before looking away shyly.

"They don't matter to me." He assured her. He noticed a small scar on her breast, partially hidden by the white lace of her bra.

"May I, uh, perhaps if ..." He began digging his thumbnail across his eyebrow, flustered.

Wordlessly, Meg sat up and unfastened her pj bottoms then slipped them off her hips, down her legs. Down to her bra and cotton briefs, Meg lay face down on the bed beside Benton. Lash marks crisscrossed her flesh from shoulders to heels. Some of them wrapped all the way around.

"Oh, Meg ..." Benton shook his head, furious over the pain and damage done to her. He surveyed her from top to bottom. Meg wasn't one to reveal herself so easily; this had cost her dearly.

"It's taken all these years for me to make peace with these." Meg lay on her stomach as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Things would have been different if …." Benton stopped himself, he played the 'What if' game too much already.

"If we'd stayed in Chicago, if I hadn't ordered you to forget our runaway train kiss, if, if, if." Meg sighed. She'd played that game too. "Everything that happened showed me how to love you better." She smiled.

Benton stroked her cheek, delighting in her loving smile. His fingertips trailed down her neck to her shoulder. He lightly touched the first scar at the nape of her neck. Meg felt him press a soft kiss to the rough, uneven skin.

"I love you." Benton murmured against her skin. He moved to the next, a little lower. "I love you."

Tears pricked Meg's eyes as he moved lower, touching and kissing her tenderly. She'd never felt more, or as sincerely, loved. Meg hoped she could love him as well in return.


	11. Chapter 11

_**The Next Morning …**_

Benton sat down on the waist high bed. He laid his undershirt beside him. Meg couldn't resist looking at his muscular back as he squirmed, pulling on socks. Her eyes traveled across his broad shoulders, down his spine to the rough, dark place marring his flesh. Her hands had slid over the rough spot only hours before as they made love. Meg knew the gist of the story behind the scar. She'd seen the medical reports and X-rays in his file upon taking command of the consulate. Doctors marveled that he could walk after such a wound.

"I expect we're late for breakfast." Benton spoke, breaking into Meg's train of thought.

"That's alright, there's a restaurant in town." Meg pulled her hand away. Benton turned to look down at her as she lay on her side, as yet undressed. She didn't want to get up, get dressed and start the day just yet. She wanted to pull Benton close once again and explore him anew.

"I've consulted Ben's schedule, he's planned a zip line adventure for this afternoon." Benton leaned down, forehead to forehead with Meg.

"Do you think he'd be disappointed if we did something else? A zip line isn't my idea of relaxation." Meg wrinkled her nose, her fingers dancing up Benton's arm, to his shoulder.

"I agree, would you like to walk around the lake instead?" Benton suggested, tempted to skip breakfast and lay in bed with Meg all day.

"Yes, after we eat. I'm famished." She closed the gap between their lips, lingering for another few moments. She heard him sigh, eyes closed, as they eased apart.

"Too bad we didn't think to stop for a few things at the grocery." Meg made herself sit up.

"Yes, too bad." Benton agreed, stroking her hair.

_**Chicago …..**_

_** Saturday Morning….**_

"Victor, your mother has breakfast ready." Ben jostled his friend. The scrawny foot and calf sticking out of his lower bunk suddenly jerked. Victor rolled out of bed, eyes blinking, face frowning.

"What?" he grumbled, looking at his glaring, red alarm clock- 9:00 am. "It's too early, I'm going back to bed." Victor shuffled to the door, heading toward the restroom down the hall to the right.

"Victor." Ben spoke, arms crossed over his chest. The other boy kept shuffling. "Victor." More shuffling. "Victor, Victor."

"What!" the boy growled but with a whine to it.

"You're heading the wrong direction." Ben pointed toward the restroom in the opposite direction. Through sleepy eyes, Victor looked at Ben then at his surroundings. A moment later he turned around.

"You're mother has breakfast ready, pancakes and sausage links." Ben followed Victor to the door, standing outside while he took care of business.

"Tell her I'll be there in a minute." Victor called, followed by the sound of the toilet flushing. A moment later he joined Ben in the hall. Together they walked into the dining room for breakfast.

"Thank you kindly, Annette." Ben spoke as he took a seat at the dining room table, a plate of fresh pancakes and sausages steaming before him.

"You're welcome. Juice or milk?" She turned to the sideboard.

"Milk, please." Ben watched Victor slide into the seat beside him, his dark hair standing on end and his pajama top hanging off one, thin shoulder.

"Can I have a cup of coffee this morning, Ma?" Victor asked, rubbing his eyes with a balled fist.

"No, you may not, you may have apple, orange juice or milk." She put on hand on her hip, shaking her head.

"Milk, thanks." He sighed. It was worth a try. Victor and Ben dug into a hearty breakfast, silence filling the dining room.

"You gonna call Rena, see if she wants to go to the movies later?" Victor asked after his second helping of pancakes.

"I was thinking about it." Ben frowned, collecting his plate, flatware and glass to take to the kitchen sink.

"You want me to call, buddy?" Victor offered, following Ben empty handed into the kitchen.

"No, I'll do it." Ben stopped short.

After breakfast, Ben took his cell phone into the bathroom and locked the door. Dief laid on the rug, dozing after kibble laced with bacon grease. All thumbs, it took Ben a couple times to dial Rena's number correctly. When he finally got through, he held his breath while it rang.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hello, is this Rena?" Ben asked, staring at his tennis shoes.

"Yes, is this Ben Metcalf?" She sounded pleased, or so Ben hoped.

"Yeah, it's Ben. Uh, are you, I mean, are you and your friends, are they going to the movies this afternoon?" Ben managed, feeling the urge to lose his pancakes.

"We hadn't planned to, but I guess we could." Ben heard her shrug over the line.

"I thought Victor and I could go, maybe we could, that is if you haven't got other plans that is,"

"We could meet at the theater and watch a movie together?" Rena's amused tone relaxed Ben.

"Yes, watch a movie together." Ben sat down on the side of the bathtub, his heart racing.

"I'll call Kimber and see if she wants to go, then I'll call you back, okay?"

Ben nodded, dazed at her acceptance.

"Ben, you there?" Rena asked, rousing him out of his daze.

"Yes, that'd be fine." Ben popped to his feet, giddy. He faintly heard her bid him good-bye.

"Yahoo!" The teen crowed in the confines of the bathroom. Dief raised his head, puzzled at the boy's action.

"She wants to go to the movies with me, Dief, Rena." Ben knelt in front of the old wolf, enunciating clearly while he stroked his back. The old wolf gave a happy yip in celebration.

"I have to call Dad and Aunt Maggie." Ben opened his phone again and speed dialed his aunt first. Despite the time difference, Maggie answered on the first ring.

"Aunt Maggie, she wants to do to the movies with me." Ben rambled for a moment before Maggie could make sense of her nephew. He heard Ray's voice in the background, "Well, ain't that a kick in the head."

"That's wonderful, Ben, I'm happy for you." Maggie chuckled.

"I have to go, I want to call Dad and Meg." Ben rushed, not asking about Maggie, Ray or Aurora.

"Okay, I'll talk to you later, tell Benton hello for me." Maggie let him go.

Ben gave Meg and Benton the same breathless recount of going to the movies with Rena. After the initial report, Ben turned to other matters.

"How do you and Meg like the bed and breakfast?" He asked, sitting on the bathroom floor, petting Dief.

"We love it, we're walking around the lake as we speak."

"But I had the zip line on the schedule for this afternoon." Ben reminded his father. Dief raised his head at the change in the boy's voice.

"We hope you aren't disappointed, but Meg and I wanted to relax, a little peace and quiet for a change." Benton explained.

"Oh, okay, have fun. I've got to go." Dief barked hello.

"Ben," Fraser said, holding on to the boy, "be careful but have fun." He wished the boy.

"I will Dad." Ben assured him.

"And remember to thank Victor's mother for having you over." Benton reminded him-again.

"I will, Dad." Ben shook his head. They said good-bye before hanging up.

"Ben, open the door, I gotta go." Victor banged on the door. He almost fell inside when Ben pulled the door open.

"Sheesh, I was beginning to think you'd been sucked into the sewer." Victor griped, moving toward the commode.

"No, I had a few phone calls to take care of. Rena wants to meet at the movies this afternoon, she's inviting her friend Kimber." Ben leaned against the door, knob in hand, ready to leave.

"Great, I'll ask Ma if she'll drive us." Victor shooed Ben and Dief out of the bathroom.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chicago …. **_

That afternoon, Ben and Victor, as well as Dief, all went to the mall where most of their school mates hung out and went to the movies. Rena and Kimber stood outside the theater, looking at movie posters and talking about hot actors.

"There she is." Ben almost whispered. Dief began strutting, tugging gently on the leash.

"Hey, Ben!" Rena called, smiling. "Who's this?" she knelt down and began petting Dief, as did Kimber. The old wolf grinned at them and enjoyed the attention.

"He's Diefenbaker, he's part wolf." Ben introduced.

"Ohh, he's so beautiful." Both girls cooed.  
"What do you want to watch?" Rena stood, looking directly at Ben. He couldn't hear her, engrossed in her long, wavy hair, her eyes and cotton candy pink lips.

"Ben, buddy." Victor called, elbowing him in the side.

"Huh?" Ben snapped to attention.

"She's talking to you?" Victor snickered.

"Where were you?" Rena asked, smiling.

"I don't know." Ben looked down at his tennis shoes, his ears turning fire engine red. A few minutes late they walked into the theater. Ben insisted on buying Rena's ticket, since he'd been the one to call her. Likewise, Victor bought Kimber's ticket, but grumbled about it afterward. Dief snuck in later.

Victor sat farthest in, next to Ben, who sat beside Rena. Kimber rounded out the aisle. Victor had stuffed his jacket pockets with junk food.

"Hey, Benny, want some chocolate covered raisins?" the teen asked, interrupting the cartoon reminder to turn off cell phones. Ben gave him a reproving look, dark brow lifted and lips thin.

"I'm not payin' three dollars for a box of raisins I can get at the Dollar Deal store for ninety-nine cents." Victor shook his head, rattling the box as he poured a handful of candy.

Ben laid his hand on the arm rest beside Rena. He felt the warmth from her skin. If someone had asked him about the movie, he couldn't have told them it's name. Ben felt her hand bump his.

"Sorry." He pulled away in a flash.

"It's okay." Rena whispered, glancing at the boy beside her. "We could share the arm rest." she suggested, leaning his way.

"Oh, how?" He turned, confused.

"We can hold hands." She giggled, taking his hand. Her hand slid into his and their fingers laced. "See." she met his gaze and watched a smile spread over Ben's features in the flickering light. Ben spent the rest of the movie grinning and looking over at Rena to make certain she wasn't just his imagination.

_**Beachton ….**_

Breakfast finished, Meg and Benton strolled down Main Street. They passed quaint, home-grown shops and local color. At the center of town they stood outside the cast iron gate separating the court house lawn from the sidewalk. A red brick building, circa 1930, dominated the street. Flowering trees dotted the small lawn as well as a historical marker detailing the town and county's founding. Meg took a picture on her cell phone. On a whim, she turned the device on herself. She dragged Benton into the shot for good measure.

"Your first ever selfie." Meg teased, showing him the photo.

"My first what?" He frowned, shaking his head.

"Selfie, a picture you take of yourself." Meg explained, "Haven't you heard of it? I'd have thought Ben would have mentioned it." Just because Benton had a television for the first time since Meg had known him, didn't mean he paid attention to anything on it. He and Ben weren't much for watching television. Sometimes they listened to the evening news or a hockey game. Other than that, they listened to the radio, read the newspaper or stayed busy in the neighborhood.

"I'm familiar with the term, but I hadn't realized that's what it meant." Benton digested the new information in his usual, analytical way.

"You are so antiquated." Meg laughed, hooking arms with him and leading her Mountie down the sidewalk. She loved his old fashioned, often odd, ways. Benton shrugged and let her lead him away.

After making the rounds, the vacationing couple drove back to the bed and breakfast. They'd shed their jackets and enjoyed the wonderful, spring weather. The breeze carried a hit of chill but smelled so fresh. It reminded Benton of the Territories. For a moment he had the overwhelming urge to book a flight north.

"Makes you homesick, doesn't it." Meg said quietly as they navigated the walking path around the lake, just out of sight of the bed and breakfast's main house.

"Yes, it does. I haven't been back since Spencer Falls." Benton stopped beneath a sycamore tree, toying with the peeling bark.

"I'd love to go back, not to Spencer Falls, but back to Canada." Meg leaned against the tree trunk, looking up at Benton.

"Perhaps someday. I'd like to show Ben my father's land, visit a few old friends." He thought about Buck Frobisher and Julie, his parents' graves and the Inuit friends he kept in touch with. Seeing Ray and Maggie appealed to him too.

"Maybe while Ben's on summer break we could all go." Meg suggested.

"Yes, all of us." He turned his attention away from the sycamore's bark and back to Meg, a new, mysterious spark in his blue eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Saturday in Chicago …. **_

Ben couldn't have wiped the grin off his face with dynamite as he walked out of the theater. He held Dief's leash in one hand and Rena's hand in the other. Sunlight through the outside exits and florescent lights overhead made him blink as they entered the main thoroughfare. Dief lagged behind, tongue lolling as if he'd ran a mile.

"That was a great movie, thanks for taking me." Rena squeezed Ben's hand.

"Yeah, great movie, welcome." The boy said, shaking his head up and down. For Ben, the day couldn't be more perfect. From the left Victor snorted loudly.

The teenagers walked around the mall for a while, until Victor's mother called to say she needed to go home. Ben and Rena hung toward the back, away from Victor and Kimber.

"I think you're very sweet, Ben." Rena whispered, edging closer to him.

"You're beautiful." Ben gushed, unable to control himself. He turned beet red and stared at his feet for a moment.

"You're honest, I like that." Rena nudged him with her elbow.

"I can't help it." The boy shrugged, meeting her gaze.

"Come on, Ben, Ma's gonna have a fit if we aren't out there soon. She's already texted me twice." Victor called, annoyed at his friend.

"Okay." Ben broke away from Rena reluctantly.

"I'll see you at school." The boy waved as he caught up to Victor. Diefenbaker trotted between the boys, breathing hard.

Sunlight attacked their eyes when they exited the mall entrance. Dief sighed, enjoying the warmth radiating from the pavement. He stopped as the boys crossed the parking lot.

"Dief, come on." Ben shouted, making sure the old wolf could see his face clearly. Dief barked, looked both ways and crossed the parking lot. When he tried to jump into the minivan, he couldn't. Ben helped him into the rear hatch. The wolf's behavior puzzled him. He'd noticed a change in the old wolf over the last month or so. Dief had been lazier, short of breath and had lost his appetite.

"What's wrong, Dief?" Ben asked, staring into liquid amber eyes. The wolf shrugged and yawned, dismissing the question.

"Okay, but let me know if you need anything." Ben stroked Dief's head and closed the hatch. _**Beachton ….**_

Sunday morning found Meg and Benton lying in bed long after their alarm sounded. Benton lay facing Meg who lay on her back. Slowly, she rolled over to face him. Her face matched the adoring smile on Benton's face.

"Good morning." She greeted, touching his face.

"It is a good morning." He agreed, looking at the reason for it. Benton wanted to remember the moment forever. He wanted to memorize the morning light against Meg's bare skin, her unique scent and the way her dark hair fell away from her face and lay on the pillow. Her warm, soft curves against his body stirred the fire of his banked passion.

"I haven't stayed up that late in a long while." Meg stretched and yawned before curling into Benton's arms.

"It was well worth the lost sleep." He began nibbling on Meg's neck, his lips nipping at her skin. She felt a passion shiver snake down her spine.

"Absolutely." She moaned, sliding her thigh up the outside of his. Meg smiled when she felt the rumble of his groan against her ear. With a contented sigh, she ran her fingers through his hair. Their relationship had gone through so many fazes. At first they'd been commanding officer and subordinate, co-workers, partners, secret admirers, friends and now lovers. Meg respected and loved no one more than Benton Fraser.

"I'm starved." Benton pulled away reluctantly. Neither of them wanted to leave the cozy comfort of their love nest.

"It's been more than twelve hours since I've eaten." Meg quickly calculated, her stomach growling as if on cue.

"Ben has us scheduled to go horseback riding today." Benton reminded Meg, sitting up on the side of the bed. Meg missed his warmth immediately.

"That sounds like fun." She raised up on one elbow, admiring the play of light on Benton's muscular back as he pulled his red long john's on.

"I wonder when he plans on asking Rena out again, he sounded excited last night on the phone." Meg followed Benton downstairs to the bathroom.

"Soon, hopefully. I'm glad he's making friends." Benton said around his toothbrush.

"He needs to broaden his horizons, he's so much like you I was afraid he'd fall all over himself around a girl."

"I didn't fall all over myself." Benton protested, toothpaste foam dribbling down his chin.

"You walked into a door and gave yourself a black eye when we worked at the consulate." Meg reminded him, leaning against the door frame.

"Ah, so I did." He ceded.

"You were adorable, thirty-something and awkward as a thirteen year old." Meg pinched his cheek, teasing. Benton was not amused.

"I have to shower." He changed the subject.

"Don't let me being here stop you." Meg chuckled, turning to leave the bathroom. She saw a suggestive, sexy gleam in Benton's blue eyes before she turned.

_**Sunday in Chicago …. **_

Victor and his family woke early on Sunday morning to attend Mass. They met Francesca and her brood as well as the rest of the Vecchio clan. Maria held her first granddaughter like a crystal vase, making sure her lace trimmed bonnet stayed tied against the spring wind.

"Hello, Aunt Frannie." Ben greeted her, Dief at his side. Ben let the leash on the wolf's collar go slack, it was a formality. All of Frannie and Maria's kids came to pet the wolf and slip him treats.

"Where's Benton?" Frannie looked down the sidewalk toward the parking lot.

"He and Meg are away in Beachton for the weekend." Ben answered. He noticed the way his honorary aunt flinched. After twenty or so years, she still held a soft spot in her heart for the Mountie.

"Tell him and Meg I asked about them, okay?" Before Ben could nod, she turned on her heel and began scolding her youngest for teasing one of the other children about their braces.

Ben filed in after Victor. Dief took his usual place on the outside of the pew. He dozed through most of the sermon. The congregation rising to sing with the choir usually woke the old wolf out of his doze. This time it didn't. Ben pulled on the leash gently, hoping to rouse his friend.

After four verses and two extra choruses, the wolf still hadn't roused. Ben knelt down to talk to him.

"Dief, it's time to go." The wolf opened his eyes and sighed. He tried to raise up but fell back to the floor.

"Is he alright?" Victor asked quietly.

"I don't think so." Ben looked up at his friend, concern on his face. "He's never acted like this before."

"What's wrong, Ben?" Francesca carried her great niece on her hip. The baby leaned forward for Ben to take her.

"Diefenbaker's sick, Aunt Frannie, he can't get up." Ben stroked Dief's head as the old wolf looked up at him. Annette, Victor's mother, and Frannie exchanged brief greetings.

"Maybe you should get him to the vet tomorrow." Annette suggested.

"I don't think tomorrow is soon enough." Ben looked up, pleading with them to help him.

"Maria, come and get Celia, I'm taking Ben and Dief to the animal hospital." Frannie called across the chapel. Two dozen head turned toward her brash voice. Maria hurried to take the eight month old from her younger sister.

"Call me and let me know what's going on." Victor said softly. He kinda liked the old wolf.

"I will, I'll stay with Aunt Frannie tonight." Ben informed Annette and Victor after thanking them for having him over for the weekend.

Frannie, Ben and Victor hauled Dief to Frannie's mini van and loaded him in the back.

"I'll call Dad and tell him what's going on." Ben pulled his simple cell phone from his pocket and turned the device on.

"Tell him we'll take extra special care of him, okay." Frannie revved the engine, having forgotten to take it out of park.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Beachton ...**_

Meg and Benton walked up the back steps of the bed and breakfast together. They discussed their plans for the day-horseback riding. Neither of them had been able to ride for pleasure in years.

"I hope I'm not too sore after last night." Meg whispered, smiling seductively.

"I'm sure we'll work out the soreness somehow." Benton gave her a bright smile as he held the back door open for Meg.

"I'm looking forward to it." Meg purred quietly.

"Good morning, help yourself, most of the others haven't come down yet." Ms. McCoy greeted them, not turning away from a frying pan full of fried, green tomatoes. Biscuits, gravy, hash browns, sausages, bacon, juices and an assortment of jams and jellies waited on the dining room sideboard.

Benton waited for Meg to take a plate and help herself. He followed suit. He'd satisfied his hunger for Meg, now his stomach required attention.

"I'm glad we came alone, but I wish Ben could join us riding." Meg let Benton scoot out her chair at the dining room table.

"He hasn't had the opportunity to go riding yet." Benton seated himself across the table from Meg. He watched her carefully pour them both glasses of orange juice. She looked up into his light eyes. Golden light through the stained glass window highlighted the thickening streaks of silver-white hair at the Mountie's temples. Meg had never noticed them before. Had it really been that long?  
"What?" Benton asked, amusement in his voice and blue eyes.

"Just thinking how handsome you are." Meg planted her chin on the heel of her hand, a dreamy smile pulling at her wine lips. Even after so long, he blushed.

"You should be wearing your glasses." Benton teased, dipping his head, smiling.

"No, I can see you just fine." Meg wrinkled her nose. They went back to their breakfasts.

On their way back to the cabin, Benton's phone began ringing, "Thirty-two Down on the Robert MacKenzie" firing up. He stopped halfway up the first flight.

"Hello."

"Okay, I'll be back this afternoon. I love you."

Benton's voice startled Meg. She stopped too short. Benton ended the call then looked at her.

"Francesca had to take Diefenbaker to the veterinarian, they don't expect him to last the day."

Meg watched Benton swallow hard, his eyes moist for a moment before he blinked it away.

"I'll pack, you call Francesca." Meg stepped down.

"Yes, I should." Benton dialed the number from memory. Meg took a step up. Benton caught her arm.

"Thank you, Meg." He tried to smile but couldn't.

"You're welcome." She laid her free hand over his. "He's your best friend." Meg shrugged.

_**Chicago ...**_

__Meg drove, careful to keep her car at the posted speed limit. She took every short cut she knew but they still drove hours to get back home. Benton sat in the passenger seat, a silent figure looking straight ahead. He held his cell phone, expecting Ben to call with bad news any moment. They pulled into Windy City Animal Hospital after lunch.

"Hey, Frase." Francesca greeted the Mountie first. "Hi, Meg."

"How is he?" Meg asked, lagging behind while Benton rushed into the exam room beyond the receptionist's desk.

Dief lay on his side, an IV running into his foreleg, a thick fleece bed padded the old, half wolf's bones. Benton took a seat on a rolling chair. He began stroking Dief's fur.

"Hello, old friend." The wolf looked up at him, whining in his throat. A shiver ran through the wolf's body. He tried to scoot closer to his human. Ben sat down on the floor beside him. They'd been together through illness before, for both of them

"Why didn't you tell me you were feeling ill?" Benton swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady. Dief shrugged and let his tongue loll, down playing it. Benton longed for the wolf to give him a sarcastic reply.

"You always worry me, we've been together this long, that's what friends do." Benton fisted a tuft of Dief's fur. The old wolf whined as he tried to scoot even closer to his human.

"Shh... Shh ..., lay still, lay still." Benton began stroking his fur, moving closer to him. "It's alright, you can let go, I'll be alright." Tears coursed down Benton's face of their own accord. He didn't want to let his best, truest friend slip away. Dief laid still, his breathing labored. "Go, walk with your ancestors." Dief closed his ageless, amber eyes for the last time. Benton felt the wolf's heart begin to slow.

When Ben and Meg walked in, they found Benton at Dief's side, his face buried in the wolf's fur. His shoulders quaked as he wept. Meg and Ben looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Dad." Ben began, stepping forward.

"He's gone." Benton raised his head but stared straight ahead, away from them.

Meg stepped up beside him, Ben to the other side. Neither of them knew if they should touch him, talk to him or leave him alone.

"We'll be waiting for you outside." Meg spoke softly, her own tears falling. She hated seeing him so broken.

"I want to take him back to the Territories for burial." Benton spoke before Meg and Ben turned away.

"Okay, I'll make the arrangements." Meg offered. Benton simply nodded.

After a moment of silence, Ben and Meg left the room to let Benton grieve in private.

Frannie sat in the waiting room, her face grave already. She'd known Dief since he and Fraser had arrived in Chicago. Losing him felt like losing a member of the family.

"He's gone, Aunt Frannie." Ben sat down beside her in a hard, plastic chair.

"Oh my." She shook her head. "How's Benton taking it?" Frannie looked up at Meg, standing in the middle of the small waiting area.

"Stoic, as usual." Meg answered, wiping her cheeks dry. "You know how he is." She added, shrugging.

Frannie couldn't begin to imagine Fraser's grief. No one understood the bond he and Dief had shared. They were an example of the truest form of love. It surpassed the barrier between species.

"I've never seen Dad like that." Ben spoke quietly, staring at the tile floor ahead of him.

"I have, before your time, kiddo." Frannie took Ben into a side hug, pressing a motherly kiss against his hair.

"Mom." The boy stated flatly.

"Yeah." Frannie sighed. Those had been some dark days after Victoria skipped town. Frannie and her brother stuck with Fraser until he came back to the light.

"I have arrangements to make, will you stay with Francesca, Ben?" Meg interrupted the heavy silence. The teen nodded and laid his head on Frannie's shoulder.

Sunday night, Benton, Meg and Ben boarded a flight for Canada. Diefenbaker's casket rode in the cargo hold. Meg had pulled strings from her Inspector days. She'd hoped to take this trip under better circumstances.

Benton called ahead to ask a friend to open the cabin he'd re-re-built on his father's land. Other than answering questions with monosyllabic words, he didn't talk. His blue eyes looked haunted and hollow. Just that morning he'd felt on top of the world at Meg's side. All had been right with the world.

Now, he struggled to count his blessings without his best friend. The Mountie considered many people his friend, a few of them best friends like Ray Vecchio, Ray Kowalski, Meg and his son, but Dief had seen him through dark times before coming to Chicago. His loss cut deeply.

Hours later and three modes of transportation later, the small party arrived at the cabin. The only original structure still standing, the barn, leaned a little to the right.

"Thank you kindly, Gregory, I know it's a long way from the village." Fraser thanked the son of an old friend who'd shuttled them from the air field to the cabin via ice cat.

"No problem, nice to have met you, Constable Fraser." The twenty-something waved as Benton slammed the ice cat's door. He and Ben carried Dief's plain casket from the tank-like vehicle to the barn and secured it. Ben noticed how his father's steps dragged. The Mountie acted bone tired. Ben wished he knew how to make his father feel better. Only time would heal his shattered heart.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Monday Evening ….**_

Fraser stood at the foot of the grave; a solitary figure in his dress reds. He'd dug Dief's final resting place by himself. He hadn't eaten, rested or slept since taking up a pick and shovel. The unyielding tundra gave up bit by bit as the Mountie swung for hours on end.

Meg had taken a canteen of water to him at mid-day. Benton hadn't looked up. A little while later she saw him take a long draught before going back to work. She and Ben kept watch anxiously.

Despite the late hour, Benton stood stock still. The wind dried gathering tears. Dief had been Benton's friend and constant companion longer than anyone. They'd shared everything, every joy and sorrow.

"Benton, we have dinner ready." Meg spoke softly as she neared the site.

"Thank you, I'll be along in a minute." His scratchy voice surprised Meg.

"Ben is worried about you." She touched his shoulder, "I'm worried about you."

Benton turned to her, a pleased smile flitting across his face. He took her hand and led the way back to the cabin. Ben had set the table and filled their water glasses when they arrived.

"Hey, Dad, Meg made moose hock stew. I found it in the bottom of the deep freeze." Ben scooted Meg's chair out for her while his father washed his hands.

"That sounds very good." Benton replied out of rote.

"Your corn bread turned out nicely." Meg joined in the conversation. It pained her to see Benton so low, and Ben trying so hard to brighten his father's mood.

"Thank you kindly, Meg." Ben replied, seating himself.

They ate in silence, Ben and Meg casting concerned glances at each other. Benton ate slowly, staring into his plate.

Benton ate very little and rose to take care of his dishes. He faltered while raking out his scraps. Dief's stainless steel bowl still sat next to the back door. The fork in his hand trembled.

"I'll do dishes if you dry." Meg offered, breaking the spell. She needed something to keep her hands and mind busy.

"Okay." Ben answered just a little too loudly to sound casual.

"Meg, would you read my report for Mrs. Spencer, I have to give an oral report on it when we get back." Ben spoke over his shoulder. Meg hesitated, watching Benton take deep breaths.

"Yes, I'll read it as soon as I finish the dishes."

Benton met her gaze before handing over his cleaned plate.

Afterward, Benton settled into an old, Adirondack chair in the small living room.

"Good job, Ben." Meg said as they finished tidying up the kitchen.

"Thanks." Ben left, saying he had a Math assignment to wade through.

Meg dried her hands, joining Benton in the living area. He'd taken a seat near the window, a block of white pine in one hand and his pocket knife in the other. He stared at the partially carved figure.

"Want to talk, I've been told I'm a good listener." Meg began slowly, kneeling beside the padded Adirondack chair.

"I'm fine, it's been a long day." Benton began working on the figure, avoiding Meg's gaze.

"Talk to me, Benton." She ordered. That drew his attention, just as she had intended. "Diefenbaker wasn't just a wolf, he was your best friend, grief is okay." She spoke more softly but with authority.

"It isn't that simple, I found Gerrard after Dad died, we captured Muldoon. Dief is, he's..." Benton swallowed, his fist white around his pocket knife. "he's gone, he didn't tell me, I could have _**done**_ something." The Mountie brought down his fist hard on the wide arm of the chair.

"He didn't want to worry you." Meg laid both hands on his fist, taking the knife from his solid grip. "You got to say good-bye." She hated the broken and lost look in his blue eyes.

"Now, we should get ready for bed, our flight is first thing in the morning." Meg took the figure away from Benton and leaned in for a gentle kiss. She felt his tension ease.

"I'll sleep on the couch, you should take the bed." Benton pointed toward the low slung, worn out sofa separating the kitchen/dining room from the living area.

"Oh, I doubt that." Meg murmured, "If you're going to not sleep somewhere, you're going to not do it with me." She rose, pulling Benton with her.

"Meg, now is not the time for intimacy." Benton began, sluggishly following her toward the second bedroom.

"Benton Fraser!" Meg hissed, "that is crass." She turned to him, outraged.

"My apologies, I should have known better." He took Meg's hand and pressed a kiss against the palm.

"You're forgiven." She pursed her lips.

After quickly dressing for bed, Benton lay down. Meg began rubbing his shoulders, working on the tense muscles up and down his back. She hummed an old rock 'n roll tune her mother loved. Her small, strong hands massaged rhythmically. Benton lay on his stomach, facing away, into the shadows. Halfway through the song, he buried his face in the pillows. Meg wanted to tell him she wouldn't think less of him for his tears. She'd shed her own for the old wolf.

Benton rolled onto his back and patted the bed beside him. Meg laid down beside him, her cheek against his bare shoulder. Benton pulled her arm around his waist, pressing her hand to his heart.

"I love you, Margaret." He whispered. "Thank you."

"I love you too." She murmured against his warm skin.

"Benton, I won't pester, but I am here if you need to, or want to talk, about anything." Meg reminded him. "I don't always know how to help, but I want to try."

"Talking isn't easy for me." Benton admitted, stroking her hand.

"I know." Meg murmured.

Meg drifted off to sleep first. Her body against his felt good to Benton. It let him know he wasn't alone. Life had opened up for him. Now he had family. Still, it wasn't the same without Dief. Later, Benton dozed off from exhaustion.

Before dawn the next day, Benton, Meg and Ben drove to the air field outside Inuvyk. Benton looked back across the vast expanse. He half expected to see Diefenbaker loping toward him, his tongue lolling to the side.

"Hey guys, you flyin' or what?" The bush pilot yelled from his window. Reluctantly, they boarded. As the ground fell away from plane, Benton felt like he'd left part of himself behind. His parents and now his long time friend lay buried there. He wondered how long it would be before he joined them.

"Dad, you never have told me how you and Diefenbaker became acquainted." Ben spoke, breaking the spell.

"It's a long story." Benton answered, still looking out at dumpling clouds on the horizon.

"We have time." Ben persisted.

The story took two-thirds of the plane ride. By the end, Benton's mood had lightened, somewhat. Ben asked questions while Meg listened quietly. The hum of the small, bush plane's motor lulled, Meg, making her drowsy.

"Look, Dad, she's asleep." Ben pointed out in a stage whisper. He fidgeted, trying to stretch his long, gangly legs.

"Would it upset you if I asked Meg to marry me?" Benton leaned close to his son. Between three passengers, mail pouches and luggage, the plane felt cramped.

"Upset me! No, I think it's a great idea." Ben said loudly.

"Shh... I wanted to speak with you before hand." Benton peered deeply into his son's blue eyes, looking for any sign of hesitation.

"Ask her, I know she'll say yes." Ben urged, an open, honest smile on his youthful features. Benton wondered if he'd ever been that young.

"I will, I have to purchase a ring first." Benton had been looking for a while, anxious to choose the right one, the perfect one. They talked about the idea for a moment longer, afraid if they had a in-depth discussion, they'd wake Meg.

"You should do it as soon as we get back to the city." Ben suggested, excited to have two of his favorite people coming together.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chicago ….**_

_**Wednesday ….**_

Meg and Benton both went back to work and Ben to school. Victor met him in front of the high school. For once, Ben had walked to school alone.

"Hey, I been wondering about you, it hasn't been the same at school without you." Victor and Ben walked up the front steps together and toward the cafeteria.

"Hello, Victor. We touched down late last night. I didn't want to call and wake anyone." Ben answered. He walked a little slower and looked a little bluer.

"How's your dad holdin' up?" Victor asked quietly, leaning toward Ben.

"He's okay I guess, he hasn't said much." Ben answered with a sigh. He missed Diefenbaker. The old wolf had walked him to school since the day he enrolled in Chicago. Dief had understood him sometimes better than his father.

As they shuffled through the crowd of students, all heading for the cafeteria, Ben smelled a familiar scent. He lifted his head to catch the breeze.

"Hey, there's Rena, you gonna ask her out again?" Victor elbowed his friend and pointed toward the girl of Ben's dreams.

"Hey, Ben, I heard about your dad's wolf, I'm sorry." Rena made a B-line for Ben. Kimber joined her a moment later.

"Dief passed away Sunday, we took him to the North West Territories to bury him with my grandparents." Ben informed her sadly. As badly as he felt about Dief, seeing Rena made his heart soar.

"That sounds exciting, too bad it wasn't for a happier reason." Rena toyed with her side braid before laying a soft, comforting hand on Ben's shoulder. If he wasn't before, he was her love prisoner at that moment.

"Thank you kindly." Ben spoke without realizing he'd copied his father's catch phrase.

"I'd love to hear all about your wolf. Maybe I could walk home with you and your dad after school sometime." Rena suggested, leaning close.

"Yeah, I'd like that very much." Ben grinned, blue eyes sparkling. Rena took his hand

"Come on, let's go eat, I'm starving." Victor broke the love spell encapsulating Ben and Rena.

Meg checked six days worth of mail. There were the usual circulars, junk mail and a few bills. She tossed some things and took others upstairs. One missive caught her eye. An Alaskan post mark betrayed the author.

"Another letter from Victoria?" Meg muttered, jamming her finger against the 'up' elevator button. With her car key, she slit the envelope before pulling out a single sheet of white, printer paper. It had been dated seven days before, the day Meg and Benton left for their three day weekend. She wondered what the woman had to say this time.

_Margaret Thatcher,_

_ My son tells me you and Benton are going on a three day weekend. He tells me he paid for the trip. I feel like you're trying to take my place in Ben's life. I am his mother, you can never change that. I'm the one who carried him inside me, close to my heart. I will always be the one he turns to. Of all the things I've done, Ben is the greatest. _

_ As for Benton, I will always be his first love. You may have him now, but remember, he loved me first. What we found will last far longer than anything you can manufacture. I gave him a son. What can you give him? ~ V_

Meg growled as she read the letter for a second time. She slammed her apartment door in anger. Again, she felt tempted to take this letter and the first one to Benton. Again, she didn't want to come off as the tattling girlfriend. Meg paced her living room for a while, trying to decide on a course of action. Victoria's letters aggravated her more than she cared to admit. The logical part of her reasoned Benton had saved her in Spencer Falls, he'd told her he loved her, and they'd spent a passionate weekend together. Still, Meg couldn't read Benton's mind.

Growling, Meg grabbed her jacket, purse and keys. Despite the late hour, she had to talk to Benton. She had to settle her mind, once and for all.

_**The Fraser Apartment ….**_

Meg used her key to Benton's apartment. On quiet, Mountie feet, she found her way to his bedroom. She set her purse near the door. Faint light from directly across the door illuminated the spartan room. The closet lay to the left, the dresser to the right. Benton's bed set in the left corner, against the wall. Meg stepped toward the standard size bed and Benton's still form.

"Who's there?" Benton sat straight up, as if rising from a coffin. Meg smiled, remembering when he'd done exactly that.

"It's Meg." she whispered.

Benton relaxed and began wiping sleep from his eyes. He patted a place beside him on the bed. Meg joined him.

"What's going on?" Benton asked.

Meg paused, feeling silly. She hadn't thought about this conversation face-to-face. She took a deep breath before pushing on.

"Do you still love Victoria Metcalf?" Meg watched Benton blink quickly.

"Pardon?" He asked, staring at her blankly.

"Do you love her, yes or no?" she repeated, exasperated.

"Love, hmm, no." He took her hand, "I am grateful, for what our relationship taught me and for Ben. It's you I love."

Meg breathed a sigh of relief. She heard the sincerity in his voice. He coaxed her closer and nestled her against his side.

"Dad?" Ben's voice broke into the darkness. The boy stepped into the room, digging his knuckle across his right eye.

"It's Meg, everything is fine." Benton reassured him.

Ben flipped on the overhead light.

"What's going on? Are you alright?" He persisted, brow knit.

"Come here, Ben." Meg gestured toward the foot of the bed. Victoria's letters had her wondering where she stood with him. Ben sat down facing her.

"Do you feel like I'm trying to replace your mother?" Meg studied him.

Ben huffed, "No." he declared. "What's going on? Have you been talking to Mom?"

"Yes, after a fashion." Meg retrieved her purse and the letters. She handed them to Benton first. He quickly scanned the first one before handing it to his son. Meg sat down and anxiously watched them read.

_"I shouldn't feel threatened, and neither should Victoria."_ Meg thought to herself as they read the letters._ "Part of me understands how she must feel." _

"I'll speak to her about this, you needn't worry." Benton folded the second letter and handed it to Ben. His voice held a keen edge, his eyes dark.

"She doesn't understand. I still love her, she's my mother. I can love both of you." Been shook his head, puzzled.

"Victoria is a mother separated from her child, it's not easy. I see you and Benton every day. Jealousy and feeling threatened are natural." Meg explained. "My brain knew all that but I had to find out for myself." She gestured, shrugging.

"Now isn't the ideal time but I've wanted to give this to you for several days." Benton pulled out the night stand drawer and came back with a red velvet ring box. "Meg, will you marry me?" He opened the box to reveal a diamond engagement ring flanked by small rubies.

"It's beautiful." She fingered the diamond a moment before turning to Ben.

"How do you feel about this? If you aren't okay with it I won't accept. Your feelings matter, Ben, I love you as if you were my son." Meg leaned forward, stroking his cheek.

"I'm fine with it. I helped Dad choose the ring. You'll be happy together." Ben moved in for a rare hug. Neither he nor Benton were much on shows of affection, such as hugs. They showed their feelings in how they treated her and each other.

"Then I accept." Meg let Benton slip the ring onto her left hand. She pulled both Frasers in for a quick, group hug.

"Well done, Son, well done." Both Fraser men heard a familiar bark accompanying Robert Fraser's voice. He and Dief stood in the door way. Robert wore his funeral Stetson and Dief wagged his tail like a puppy. Benton and Ben exchanged surprised expressions.

"Did you say something, Benton?" Meg asked, pulling out of the hug.

"No, nothing." He assured her.

"That's odd, I thought I heard you say something and Dief bark." She persisted, certain her ears weren't playing tricks.

"Perhaps it was a ghost." Ben suggested, grinning uncontrollably.

"There's no such thing as ghosts, and certainly not ghost wolves." Meg scoffed.

Benton and Ben exchanged knowing looks.

_**The End**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Wives are young men's mistresses; companions for middle age; and old men's nurses. ~ Bacon.**_

_**Epilogue …. **_

_** Three Months later ….**_

Ben stood beside his father, the Rays and the pastor near the pulpit. Both waited anxiously as the wedding march played. Light flooded into the small church through stained glass windows. Fifty or so guests sat in their Sunday finest, including Lieutenant Welsh, retired, and all the Vecchio clan.

On cue, Meg walked out on Sgt Buck Frobisher's arm. She looked radiant in an off white gown and modest veil. Frobisher beamed inanely as he and Meg stepped forward. Meg's eyes locked with Ben's, making her heart soar.

The wedding march ended as Frobisher and Meg stopped at the pulpit. She glanced around to see Rena sitting on the front pew. Ben's eyes darted from his father and Meg to the smiling, teenage girl. Ben couldn't have wiped a smile off his face with dynamite.

Solemnly, the pastor began the ceremony. His voice rang deep and strong through the stone church. Meg and Benton spoke the traditional vows; love, honor and cherish. It was simply an outward expression of what each of them already felt for the other. With Ben, Meg and Benton had the family they'd wanted for so long.

"I love you, I suppose I always have." Benton whispered as he held the rear limo door open for Meg.

"I love you too, I always will." Meg held his proffered hand. Together they slid into the limo and off for a few days honeymoon at a nearby hotel. Benton turned to see Robert Fraser and Diefenbaker standing behind Ben and Rena. He knew the boy would be alright at "Aunt" Frannie's for a few days. Benton turned back to Meg, finally able to put his arms around her like he'd wanted to all day. It felt good to finally be a married man.

"Hello, Mrs. Fraser." Benton kissed her cheek.

"Sounds good to me." Meg gave him a quick peck before laying her head against his shoulder.

Together after so long, they rested in each other's arms.

_**~Fin~**_


End file.
